virgin

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The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.

“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)

In Navajo, the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)

The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)

In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )

In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).

concubine

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “concubine” in English is translated in Kutu as “slave made to be his woman” or “female slave he married” and similarly in Makonde, “a slave who is/was a wife.”

In Kwere it is translated as “small wives.” This is the term for subsequent wives when polygamy is practiced among the Kwere. While they enjoy most of the same rights and privileges as the first wife, their status is not necessarily the same. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Kalanga it is likewise translated with balongwana or “small wives.” (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Concubine .

Translation commentary on Song of Songs 6:8

Verses 8 and 9 are held together by an impressive inclusio or bracket consisting of three terms, queens, concubines, and maidens. Verse 8 sets the scene for a contrast that will be made in verse 9a between the young woman and all others. Sixty queens, … eighty concubines, and maidens … contrasts with “My dove, my perfect one is unique.” Because these verses are closely connected, they should be translated as a unit. For maximum effect verse 9 must be made to flow directly from verse 8.

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines …: many languages will have to follow Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version in supplying an introductory formula such as There are. Another solution is to say “A king has sixty queens, eighty concubines, ….” No actual group of people is described by this statement, although the terms refer to many women in a royal court. These expressions certainly link with the Solomon imagery, which is used much in the Song (1.5; 3.7, 11; 8.11). An explicit reference to Solomon should not be made here, however.

The expression is very general. The numerals have only representative function, indicating a relatively large number. The form of the statement resembles the numerical sayings found in Pro 30.15-16, 18-19, but is nevertheless slightly different in form and purpose. Sixty and eighty are multiples of the traditional “three … four” pattern and so represent large groups. Additionally in Hebrew the numbers sixty and eighty are short expressions, and their sound is rhythmic (shishshim … shemonim). But in many languages of the world, these numbers may be complex, “fifty plus ten.” Such lengthy numbers may reduce the poetic effect of the translation. If this is the case more general expressions may be substituted. In doing so, however, the second number or expression should be clearly higher than the first; for example, “There are many queens, and even more concubines….”

Queens and concubines have special associations with high society and the royal court. Here the wives of ancient kings were all called queens, while the young ladies or courtesans who served the king were known as concubines. Revised English Bible suggest “princesses” for queens, but this is not accurate and should not be followed. If there is no word for queen, we can simply say “wives of the king.” In many parts of the world there is a distinction between first or legal wives and secondary wives or mistresses. In some cultures concubines are simply known as junior wives. These terms can be used if appropriate. In cultures where such references are too offensive, a euphemism can be used for concubines, such as “women who serve the king.”

And maidens without number: maidens (Good News Translation “young women”) is regularly applied to women who have reached the age when they can marry. This phrase completes the threefold list of classes of women. Note that each of these categories of women is repeated in verse 9 below, though “daughters” replaces maidens there.

The phrase without number and the numerals sixty and eighty combine to present a picture of a very large number of women. This list provides the basis for the contrast, which is then completed in verse 9a. Without number is an idiom that means there are so many there is no way they can be counted, hence New English Bible “past counting.” We can simply say “too many to count.” Many languages will have similar idioms, such as “They are many. You can’t say” or “There are so many young women, you can’t count them.”

Some versions such as Revised English Bible make it clear that this statement is purely imaginary by using “may be”: “there may be queens, concubines….” Many West African languages have a convenient particle (oo) that introduces items to be compared. Such constructions fit the context will and are a perfect way to introduce the following verse: “Sixty queens, oo, eighty concubines, oo, young maidens without number, oo [verse 9] my dove is unique….” Good News Translation goes further, with the young man exclaiming “Let the king have….” While this does capture the spirit of the young man’s feelings, Good News Translation goes beyond what the text is saying—it does not suggest that the king should have many wives but rather raises a hypothetical situation.

In translation we can say something like:

• There may be sixty queens, eighty concubines, and so many unmarried women you can’t count them, but….

• Yes, a king might have sixty queens, eighty women to serve him, and unlimited maidens, but….

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 6:8

6:8–10

In the previous verses (6:4–7), the man spoke to the woman directly, using forms like “you” and “your.” He described her head and face. But here in 6:8–10 he spoke indirectly, using phrases like “the favorite of the mother who bore her.” He described her beauty, using words like “perfect one,” “unique,” and “fair.” In 6:10 he compared her beautiful face to the beauty of the sun, moon, and stars.

6:8–9

In 6:8–9 the man compared the woman to beautiful women in the royal court. The “sixty queens” and “eighty concubines” were wives of a king, but the particular king is not mentioned. It probably was not Solomon, since the author did not mention him here. Also, the numbers (60 and 80) do not match the number of Solomon’s wives in 1 Kings 11:3.

6:8a–9a

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number: This statement gives a hypothetical situation. It does not imply that the king (or the man) really had 60 wives, 80 concubines and a very large number of maidens. The man used the statement to praise his bride and to indicate that she was unique. No queen, concubine, or maiden could ever be as wonderful as she was.

Some ways to translate this meaning are:

What if I could have sixty queens, eighty wives, and thousands of others! 9 You would be my only choice…. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Even if someone offered me 60 queens, 80 wives, and any number of beautiful girls, I would love only ⌊you⌋.

In some languages the numbers 60 and 80 may be complex phrases, or the numbers may make the poetry seem dull or unnatural. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general way to refer to increasingly large numbers. For example.

If I could have many queens, more concubines, and countless girls, you would be my only choice, my perfect mate.

Translate the statement in a way that will imply this meaning in your language.

6:8

When the author mentioned the numbers “sixty,” “eighty,” and “without number,” he mentioned the lowest number first. But when he mentioned the status of the women, he mentioned the ones with higher status first: “queens,” “concubines,” and “maidens.”

The numbers “sixty” and “eighty” are a poetic way to imply that a person could compare the woman to any number of other women (even queens and concubines), but no one would be as perfect as she was.

6:8a

sixty queens: The word queens refers to the king’s wives. In Solomon’s time it was common in Israel and other countries for a king to have many wives. These queens sometimes had great power.

6:8b

and eighty concubines: The concubines were also wives of the king, but they had less status and power than the queens. They were often chosen because of their beauty. In some languages there is no word for concubines and the idea may be offensive. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use a more general phrase. For example:

women to serve the king

6:8c

and maidens without number: The phrase maidens without number is a hyperbole. It implies that there were so many young women that no one could count them. Other ways to translate the phrase are:

so many girls you cannot count them (New Century Version)
-or-
countless young women (New Living Translation (2004))

maidens: The word maidens probably refers to young women who are old enough to be married but are not yet mothers. There were many women who were probably associated with the king’s court but were not formally married. It is good to use a word in your language that refers to young unmarried women.

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